It’s June. The sun is out, the birds are chirping, and you’re on your university summer holiday. Armed with a copy of your favourite magazine – it’s alright, we know if it’s online it’s Kettle – and a cider or two, you’re sunning yourself in your garden, taking in the heat, and planning your summer holiday wardrobe. Except… you’re not going anywhere.
If, like me, you’re not travelling this summer, here are my top five tips for bringing the summer fun to your doorstep:
Plan a garden party
Whether you’re basking in your six acre estate (if so, I hate you) or watering those three potted plants on the patio, maximise your space this summer and plan a garden party for you and your friends. From supermarkets to pound stores, you can buy cheap items for those summer parties, so you’re in luck. Think: bright bunting, novelty ice cubes, and big buckets of Pimm’s. After a glass or two, you won’t even remember that you’re not with the Towie cast in Marbs!
Become a tourist in your own city
I know, I know. The last time you did this, you were ten, and you traipsed your way around the local museum, and vowed to never to listen to your parents again. But it’s summer now, the suns out, and there are more events on than ever. Check your local paper, look at local tourist sites, and go out and explore. The trick is to be open-minded. Then you’re allowed to be smug when you’re the first of your friends to find your town’s next hidden gem.
Have a summer film marathon
If you can’t get there, you can do the next best thing, and nothing says summer more than a cheesy feel-good classic. From the good old summer holiday romance in Dirty Dancing to the bizarre (in the best possible way, promise) sing-a-long wedding drama of Mamma Mia!, summer lives on, right from the comfort of your sofa.
[Dirty Dancing, 1987]
Maximise BBQ season
We know you think you’re Cook of the Year since mastering spag bol at university, and that’s great, but the glory of the humble BBQ is its simplicity. Juicy, sticky, and sweet, you can BBQ pretty much anything and make it taste so good that it might as well have been cooked by Jamie Oliver. The best bit is that burning the food around the edges is pretty much written down in law, right next to the bit about being allowed a whole new wardrobe so you can sizzle just like the BBQ!
Revamp your playlist
Summer’s about parties, people and heat, and nothing accompanies that winning combination better than a good song to dance to. It doesn’t matter if you spent your year pre-drinking to Club Classics, ‘cos you’re older and wiser now, and you’re ready to step it up. Find the right song and it’ll be the soundtrack to everything, from chilling with your mates to trawling your coursemates’ holiday photos online (don’t worry, your secret’s safe with us!).
How are you planning on spending your university summer holiday? Get in touch in the comments below and let us know!
